Sculptural Showhome Pierced By A Central Courtyard

A sculptural home in Taipei presents its facade with a play of light and geometry that mesmerizes passers-by. Spreading over 635 square meters, the surprising showcase house in Taiwan is known as Casa De Flore. Defined by the carefully designed transparent glass box presenting tall floor-to-ceiling windows shaping a lounge zone hidden behind greenery, the architecture plays with scale and depth to create a protective shield from the noise of the street. Imagined by Arcadian Architecture + Design as welcoming people with a receded facade adorned with a terraced landscape, this home in Taiwan features a special “heart of the home” – a central courtyard.

Casa De Flore is recessed from the road to provide a parking space and an open entrance. Past the massive doors, functional spaces are arranged around a central courtyard lined with pebbles. Bringing light deep inside the home, this interior courtyard is inhabited by a single plant making the whole house seem like a micro-cosmos. Three meeting rooms divided by shelves and an 8-meter-long reception table, together with a lounge zone accessible via sliding doors revolve around the central courtyard. Architects guide us through the spaces: “At the rear of pebble courtyard, a doorway is leading to a residential unit for demonstration. The living room, dining room, studying room and master bedroom are displayed in sequence under a continuous curved ceiling to convey the idea of an open living plan.”

Photographs seen on Archdaily, courtesy of Shining Group,Inc., present the sculptural home from different vantage points, making it come alive. Do you like what you see?

Very interesting study of a contemporary style house. My only regret is that central courtyard.When I think “A central courtyard” immediately comes to my mind those gorgeous, sun bathedSpanish courtyards choke full of greenery, geraniums and carnations…, this one looks more likethe central courtyard of a penitentiary.